If you know something, say something – that’s the message being spread in a new campaign to combat arson.

In just one year, 36 per cent of all fires attended by the Tasmania Fire Service were deliberately lit, most of those incidents being car fires.

Tasmania Fire Service chief officer Chris Arnol said with summer coming up, the community had to remain vigilant to arson attacks.

“It takes our resources away from other incidents and it puts fire fighters at risk,” he said.

“It has a significant impact on the community in particular when we have a mass incident like a bushfire.”

Tasmania Police Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard said more than 460 arson attacks were reported to police in the last year.

“Arson is the type of crime that not only impacts on people’s lives and causes serious injuries, but it also causes significant psychological upheaval, economic damage to families and entire communities,” he said.